Bestselling fiction hits theaters

Bestselling fiction hits theaters

The Diving Bell and the ButterflyJean-Dominique Bauby(paperback) The late editor of French Elle wrote his remarkable ’97 memoir, which describes being paralyzed by ”locked-in syndrome,” by blinking his left eyelid. Director Julian Schnabel’s film translates Bauby’s rich language into bold visuals; we even watch the hero’s right eye get sewn shut from his perspective.Last Word Though the movie is masterful, nothing can top the book’s poetic beauty. — Missy Schwartz

The Kite RunnerKhaled Hossenini(paperback) Screenwriter David Benioff’s adaptation skims past much of the final Chapters — e.g., Amir struggling to adopt his orphaned nephew — but the film remains very faithful to Hosseini’s best-seller. It even lifts the majority of its dialogue directly from the novel.Last Word The film’s stunning cinematography may enhance your understanding of a war-torn Afghanistan, but it’s impossible to match the novel’s emotional power. — Kate Ward

AtonementIan McEwan(paperback) McEwan’s 2002 best-seller about the lifelong consequences of a young girl’s lie is transported nearly scene by scene to the big screen, with only a few tweaks to tighten the dramatic structure.Last Word Both book and movie pack an emotional punch, but director Joe Wright’s sweeping adaptation struggles with its inability to go where the story’s real action takes place: inside the minds of its characters. — Adam Markovitz